Happy May! While you might not exactly be in a celebratory mood, we think it’s important to celebrate the beauty of spring. Flowers and plants aren’t taking time off to quarantine, and we should be grateful they’re bringing a little beauty into our worlds right now.

We’ve been busy here at Outdoors Rx, moving much of our programming online. In the past month we’ve:

• Put together a series of Outdoors Rx At Home Challenges where families can complete challenges on their own and earn regular Outdoors Rx program badges
• Created videos to go along with challenges
• Begun holding virtual nature art sessions for families
• Disseminated a resource guide aimed at our communities in Framingham, Waltham, Boston, Chelsea, and Revere

One positive part of this pandemic is seeing our mission in action. Folks are constantly being told to get outdoors, but only in their yard or neighborhood; this is hard for many people, but Outdoors Rx families are champions of neighborhood nature. They’re taking this in stride, proving to us how resilient they are, and we could not be more proud.

We are grateful to all our partners who are essential workers—grocery store employees, farmers, pharmacists, scientists, janitorial staff, healthcare workers, and so many more. We are here for you and your families, so please let us know if there’s anything we can do to support you.

Yours From the Outdoors,
Leah and Cassie

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Chelsea Community Connections and the City of Chelsea are working together to distribute diapers to families in need. Because of the tremendous demand, distribution is dependent on donations of both packages of diapers and funds to purchase supply.

If you would like to donate to the Diaper Drive, you can do so at the Chelsea Community Connections donation page. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and will ensure our youngest Chelsea residents have their basic needs met.

Connect

APPLICATION: Emergency Rental Assistance Application (1)

Aplicación: Emergency Rental Assistance Application_Spanish (1)

Funded by the Community Preservation Committee and Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board, the Department of Planning and Development has established an emergency rental assistance program.

Prior to the pandemic, the crisis of housing affordability heavily impacted Chelsea residents. The City is committed to supporting residents during this period of economic hardship, which has worsened the crisis of housing affordability. As a step to reduce displacement and stabilize housing situations, the City has created this program to offer direct grant funding to residents.

Qualifying applicants may be eligible for a grant equivalent to up to three (3) months of rent, or $5,000, whichever amount is less.

Funding is available for income eligible applicants who meet the program’s criteria.

• Funding is available for Chelsea residents only.
• To qualify, your household income must be at or below 50% of the HUD Area Median Income (AMI).
• Your application must certify compliance with requirements related to household income, assets, and public benefits.
• Applicants must verify monthly rental obligation with written documentation from the landlord or person they are renting the apartment from.
• Applicants will be chosen using a lottery system with preferences for families with children, disabled residents, veterans, seniors over 65, households who have been economically impacted by COVID-19 who are ineligible for other forms of federal assistance, and economically disadvantaged residents with household income at or below 30% of the HUD Area Median Income.

How to apply

Printed applications are available for pick-up by City Hall entrance (on Washington Ave.), at the Chelsea Collaborative, and at National Guard pop-up pantry locations each weekday. Applications are also available online: click here for English applications

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Fundado por el Fondo para la Preservación de la Comunidad y la Junta del Fondo Fiduciario de Acceso a la Vivienda, el Departamento de Planeamiento y Desarrollo ha establecido un Programa de Asistencia en el pago de la renta durante la emergencia.

La crisis de acceso a la vivienda impactaba fuertemente a los residentes de Chelsea incluso antes de la pandemia. La Ciudad se compromete a apoyar a los residentes durante este período de dificultades económicas que ha empeorado la crisis de acceso a la vivienda.

Como una acción para reducir el desplazamiento y estabilizar las situaciones de vivienda, la Ciudad ha creado este programa para ofrecer subvenciones directas a los residentes.

Los solicitantes podrán  ser elegibles para una subvención equivalente de hasta tres (3) meses de renta, o $ 5,000, la cantidad que sea menor.

La financiación está disponible para solicitantes que cumplan con los criterios del programa

• Disponible solo para residentes de Chelsea.
• Para calificar, los ingresos de su hogar deben ser iguales o inferiores al 50% de los ingresos medios del área según el Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de los Estados Unidos (AMI por sus siglas en inglés).
• Su solicitud debe certificar el cumplimiento de los requisitos relacionados con los ingresos del hogar y los beneficios públicos.
• Los solicitantes deben verificar la obligación de alquiler mensual con documentación escrita del arrendador o la persona a quien le alquilan el apartamento.
• Los solicitantes serán elegidos utilizando un sistema de lotería con preferencias para familias con niños, residentes discapacitados, hogares que han sido afectados económicamente por COVID-19 y residentes económicamente desfavorecidos con ingresos familiares iguales o inferiores al 30% de los ingresos medios del área según el Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de los Estados Unidos (AMI por sus siglas en inglés).

Cómo solicitar

Solicitudes impresas están disponibles en la Alcaldía (entrada de la avenida Washington), en la Colaborativa de Chelsea y todos los días de semana en las ubicaciones de la despensa móvil de la Guardia Nacional.

Las solicitudes también se pueden obtener en línea: visite aquí para las solicitudes en español.

CONTACT: 

Sayou Cooper, Housing Development Project Manager, Department of Planning and Development scooper@chelseama.gov

Alex Train, AICP, Assistant Director of Planning and Development

617-466-4192 or atrain@chelseama.gov